Forget the Barbeque Summer - it's the Porridge Winter...
Quaker Oats reports 200% sales surge as Britons turn to porridge for morning warmth
26 January 2010
The promised 'Barbeque Summer' never did arrive, but Quaker Oats is celebrating a 'Porridge Winter' as the UK's largest hot cereals brand experiences the greatest sales lift in its 100 year history. So whilst the temperatures may be dropping - porridge sales are soaring.
Figures from Quaker Oats reveal that the nation's favourite porridge brand has kick started this year with a huge sales lift of 200% versus this time last year. In the first week of January the company reported the largest ever orders in its history, 65% higher than its previous best selling week, as retailers flocked to fill their shelves in order to meet demand.
Quaker's Oats So Simple has proved to be particularly popular, with sales of the range climbing to 20.7million sachets last week. Its popularity is down to its quick and easy preparation - it takes only two minutes to turn a sachet of oats into a perfect warming bowl of porridge, appealing to time restricted Brits suffering from the coldest weather in 30 years.
"We saw a significant sales increase in January 2009 but the uplift so far this year has been truly remarkable," comments Sean Summers, marketing director, Quaker Oats. "People are rediscovering porridge and turning to it to warm themselves up during this cold spell. We are working hard to respond to demand and fuel the nation during this 'Porridge Winter."
Simon Ely, the site manager of the Quaker Oats' factory in Cupar, Scotland states: "We are well prepared to meet the growing demand for porridge and have the factory working 24/7. The weather is a challenge but amazingly not one member of staff has missed a normal shift in the last week."
Quaker Oats is not only fuelling the nation, it is also fuelling the Scottish Rugby team. Last week it announced that its Scott's Porage brand has entered into a deal to be an official sponsor of the team. The deal also involved updating its iconic pack. It has replaced the traditional stone putter on its pack with images of Scotland's top rugby talent - Chris Paterson, Thom Evans and Ross Ford.
Quaker Oats is also attracting a whole new range of porridge lovers to its brand with the launch of Quaker Paw Ridge. This is a new smooth porridge with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives so it's a great way to set kids up for the day ahead during the colder weather.
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